This invention relates to a series of pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidin-7-ones, which are potent and selective inhibitors of cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterase (cGMP PDE), having utility in a variety of therapeutic areas including the treatment of various cardiovascular disorders such as angina, hypertension, heart failure and atherosclerosis.
The compounds of the invention exhibit selectivity for inhibition of cGMP PDEs rather than cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterases (cAMP PDEs) and, as a consequence of this selective PDE inhibition, cGMP levels are elevated, which in turn can give rise to beneficial platelet anti-aggregatory, anti-vasopastic and vasodilatory activity, as well as potentiation of the effects of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) and nitrovasodilators. Thus the compounds have utility in the treatment of a number of disorders, including stable, unstable and variant (Prinzmetal) angina, hypertension, congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis, conditions of reduced blood vessel patency e.g. post-percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (post-PTCA), peripheral vascular disease, stroke, bronchitis, chronic asthma, allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis, glaucoma, and diseases characterised by disorders of gut motility, e.g. irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
European patent application EP-A-0201188 discloses certain pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidin-7-ones as adenosine receptor antagonists and PDE inhibitors, useful in the treatment of cardiovascular disorders such as heart failure or cardiac insufficiency. However these compounds are neither particularly potent PDE inhibitors, nor are they claimed to be selective inhibitors of cGMP PDE.